A Canine's Lament
by CanzetYote
Summary: When the Novel World of Where The Red Fern Grows is invaded by a Jyarei monster and corrupted, it's up to the Eto Rangers to stop it but Pochiro starts to doubt himself after a nasty confrontation with Billy Colman over why Billy's dogs should be hunting dogs instead of therapy animals.
1. Chapter 1

Pochiro sat alone in the shade of a maple tree, a book in his hand. He tried to hold back the urge to cry but the floodgates opened and a single tear trailed down his handsome snout and dripped off his nose onto the last page of the book, leaving a salty stain on the paper. Sniffling, the samurai dog wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand and drew a shaky breath. Pochiro had just finished reading "Where The Red Fern Grows" and the ending broke his heart in two. It was then that a soft, female voice cut through the silence, "I see you like reading in the shade as well, Pochiro."

Pochiro turned around to see Souffle smiling at him, "Oh, hello Lady Souffle. Actually, I just finished this book." He forced a chuckle, "Us samurai must not only be strong of body but strong of mind as well."

Souffle chuckled a bit but then noticed that Pochiro's eyes were a little red from crying, "Is everything okay? You look like you've been crying."

"Well..." Pochiro forced a smile, "I just finished reading "Where The Red Fern Grows" and the ending was just so sad."

"What happened?" Souffle asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I won't spoil it for you." Pochiro replied bluntly, "You'll have to read it for yourself."

"Oh...I wonder if it's as sad as The Little Mermaid. Or maybe Shanghai Cabbage?" Souffle pondered aloud.

"Please don't bring that up. Nyorori has searched countless libraries for Shanghai Cabbage and has come up empty handed. I think Bakumaru just made it up to mess with us." Pochiro replied, crossing his arms with a stern look on his face.

"So, how are things going with Tart?" The sheep asked the dog.

"Mostly smooth but she can be so fickle." Pochiro replied honestly, "I wish she'd just stick with her bird form. When we're out together and she's in her human form, we get all sorts of weird looks and gossip. Don't get me wrong, I find her human form attractive and all but when we're out, we try our best to tone down the affection level."

"I see." Souffle replied, "Maybe that's a good thing or everyone would tell you two to get a room."

Pochiro just blushed and burst out laughing at the sheep's unexpected comment when suddenly, their badges began to glow. Pochiro looked down at his, "No rest for the wicked, Miss Souffle. Those Jyarei monsters just don't know when to quit."

The dog and sheep made a mad dash for Kirinda and entered the control room where everyone was gathered. Kirinda looked around the room and saw all 12 eto rangers were all seated, "Now that you're all here, there's something I'd like to tell you all. From here on out, there are many, many more novel worlds for us to explore. It's not just fairy tales and nursery rhymes. American classics such as Of Mice And Men, The Great Gatsby and so on will be available to explore. That is, if they are under attack by a Jyarei monster."

"So, what else is new?" Bakumaru rolled his eyes, "Have our weapons been upgraded yet?"

"How is the progress on that, Nyorori?" Kirinda asked the snake.

"Completed and done, Nyorori. Would you care to see them?"

"Of course!" Everyone shouted in unison.

"Then let me amaze you with the newest modifications, Nyorori. Pakaracchi, I added a flamethrower to your boomerang for more close range combat. Just press the new button I installed on it and the end of your boomerang opens. You must then hold the button to spray a jet of fire. Just click it twice to make it return to normal, Nyorori."

"All right!" Pakaracchi cheered, "Feel the eternal flame of neverending youth! It burns in my heart and now in my boomerang!"

"Souffle, I've invented these explosive gumballs that work as smoke bombs. They work well for escaping enemy attacks or causing distractions. Just don't eat them, Nyorori."

"Thank you very much." Souffle replied with a giggle as she took the gumballs.

The snake then turned to Pochiro, "Pochiro, are you familiar with how morning stars work?"

The samurai dog nodded, "A spiked ball on the end of a chain? Of course. Why do you ask?"

"Your Bone Nyoibo now has a retractable morning star inside of it, Nyorori. Also, more voltage has been added to the taser and you can set the electricity to 3 levels: Zap, Stun and Kill."

"Kill?" Pochiro blinked in horror, "Hopefully, I won't have to use a setting like that."

Nyorori turned to Gaoh and handed him his shades, "On top of your tiger transformation, you can now fire beams of ice from your sunglasses, freezing enemies in their tracks, Nyorori."

"That might come in handy. Thanks." Gaoh replied as he pocketed his shades.

Nyorori turned his attention to Tart, "As for you, Tart, I've got these steel boots. They'll help you kick Jyarei monster butt like nobody's business."

"I guess I'll have to clean these regularly from bloodstains." Tart replied as she accepted her boots.

"I sure hope it isn't my blood." Monk whimpered to himself.

"Next time you pull a prank on me, it WILL be your blood." Tart threatened, causing the monkey to shrink back in fear.

The snake then approached Urii and handed him a pair of wrist lasers, "This is a new weapon that's triggered by your laughter. This way, you don't have to feel sad to fight back against Jyarei monsters, Nyorori."

"Thank you very much." Urii replied, taking the wrist lasers.

"What about me?" Bakumaru asked, "Certainly you upgraded my weapon into something better."

There was an awkward silence and the snake rubbed his head, "Oh, sorry but I didn't. What I mean to say is, your weapon is strong enough as it is. The same goes for Drago."

"Sounds fair to me." Drago said quietly.

"THAT IS SO NOT FAIR!" Bakumaru screamed, throwing a little tantrum in his seat.

"What about me?" Monk asked.

"No weapon for you, Nyorori. Remember that prank you pulled last week? I did not take kindly to that, Nyorori. Only good Rangers get upgraded toys. All you get is this block of coal."

The snake handed the monkey a block of coal. Monk looked down at the coal and smirked, "Hmmm...thanks for the weapon upgrade, Nyorori. I think I know exactly how to use it."

And with that, Monk chuckled the lump of black coal at the back of Nyorori's head when the snake turned around. Everyone gasped but then, Nyorori burst out crying like a baby, "Th...that really hurt, Nyorori! I'm telling Princess Aura. She'll spank you, you naughty little monkey!"

"Thanks for putting that image in my head." Tart responded sarcastically.

"I'm sure someone on the internet has drawn it." Pakaracchi said with a shrug, "Youth does the strangest things sometimes."

"All right, all right. Enough with the banter. Rangers, we must focus on our mission at hand." Kirinda spoke up, "The Novel World we'll be entering is located in the ozarks in North America. Are any of you familiar with the story of Where The Red Fern Grows?"

Pochiro raised his paw, "As a matter of fact, I just finished reading that very book."

"Care to explain the plot?" Kirinda asked.

"Well, basically, a poor boy in rural America named Billy Colman saves up and buys a pair of coonhounds for raccoon hunting. With his family, he grows up to become a very successful raccoon hunter. But then one day..." Pochiro hung his head and his eyes suddenly flooded with hot tears. He bit his lip, looking as if he were going to cry any second and had the look of a hurt puppy on his face.

"And?" Bakumaru asked, oblivious to Pochiro's tearful expression.

Pochiro sniffled and paused for a bit to wipe his eyes, "S...sorry. I'm all choked up about it. It's just...sad animal things really get to me. Old Yeller, Homeward Bound...B...besides, I don't want to s-spoil the ending."

"Basically, at the end of the story, they dogs go on a hunt and one is killed by a mountain lion while the other dies of a broken heart, Nyorori." Nyorori said, causing Pochiro to bury his face in his paws and start crying.

"Wow, that's very sad indeed." Souffle commented, "No wonder it upset you so much, Pochiro."

"I...said not to spoil it..." Pochiro sniffed, a couple tears streaking down his face.

"Now that we're got that out of the way, let's decide members for our mission. Rouletto Starto!" Kirinda called out and the lights under the rangers' chairs started flashing before landing on 4 members.

"Bakumaru, Cream, Gaoh and Pochiro. That's four of you."

Pochiro sighed, "I can already tell this mission will be an emotional roller coaster."

"I don't like stories about hunting." Cream commented.

"If it makes you feel better, they aren't out for rabbits." Pochiro reassured Cream, "Just raccoons."

"Well then, it's good that none of us are raccoons!" Bakumaru laughed, trying to ease the atmosphere.

"Either way, defeat the Jyarei monster and protect the novel world as usual. Have a safe journey!" Kirinda said as he fired the mouse, dog, rabbit and tiger off in bubbles out of the ship.

 **NOTE:** _All right, I know I didn't put the whole spinner scene where Kirinida gives them the while year of the something, direction of the something clue because I have no idea what the combination for Where The Red Fern Grows will be. Also, this is my first Eto Ranger fic so it may seem a bit rushed in places._


	2. Chapter 2

Bakumaru, Cream, Gaoh and Pochiro's bubbles floated in the clear blue sky and popped, sending them hurtling towards the concrete below where they fell with a crash. "We really need to invest in crash insurance, you know." Bakumaru complained as he rubbed his sore behind.

"Kirinda's just too cheap to invest in it so I wouldn't hold my breath." Pochiro replied dryly, getting up and dusting his clothes off.

"Where have we landed exactly?" Gaoh asked, rubbing his head with his large hand.

Cream got up and looked around at their surrounding. In front on them was a large set of concrete steps leading up to what appeared to be a large building. The rabbit blinked a few times and turned her attention to a sign on her right that read "Robber's Cave Mall".

"Robber's Cave Mall? That's a strange name for a mall." Cream spoke out loud.

"That's because it's not supposed to be a mall, it's supposed to be a cavern in the ozarks." Pochiro replied, "Right off the bat, this place smells like Jyarei monster corruption."

"I guess someone paved paradise and made way for a parking lot." Gaoh commented.

"Don't it always seem to go, that you don't know what you've got til its gone..." Bakumaru sang to himself. Cream, Pochiro and Gaoh all just stared at him and the mouse just chuckled and rubbed his head, "Sorry, I couldn't resist."

Cream smiled, "Anyway, if this is a mall then maybe we could shop for some clothes first and catch the Jyarei monster later? Maybe I'll find new design ideas for my magic wardrobe."

Gaoh's stomach growled and he burst out laughing, "I suddenly have the strangest craving for gelato. I guess I'm off to the food court to see what they have."

Bakumaru smiled and stretched his arms, "Good idea, we can't really think on an empty stomach. What about you, Pochiro?"

Pochiro couldn't help but roll his eyes at Bakumaru, "No thanks, I'm not hungry. I'll be taking my job seriously and try tracking down the Jyarei Monster."

"Suit yourself." Bakumaru shrugged, "You really should get out more, though."

And with that, Pochiro separated from his fellow rangers, stepping into a nearby elevator while Bakumaru, Cream and Gaoh climbed the concrete steps.

Meanwhile, back at headquarters, the other rangers were watching the split on the big screen TV.

Pakaracchi folded his arms, "Bakumaru has a point, Pochiro should get out more. It's a sad waste of youth!"

"Oh, they're at the mall..." Souffle sighed, "I'm actually kind of jealous."

"I'm glad I'm not there, Ushi." Hols replied, "I'm afraid of escalators."

"At least Pochiro seems focused on the mission, Nyorori. Let's see how this all unfolds." Nyorori said, adjusting his glasses.

"I bet if I were there, I'd find that Jyarei Monster before he could." Monk bragged, laying back in his seat.

"You two and your silly competitions." Tart scoffed at Monk.

"Hey, at least I'm an actual primate and not a bird pretending to be a primate." Monk shot back.

Instantly, Monk was hit by a swift kick to the head which knocked him out. Tart smirked and cracked her knuckles, "Well, what do you know? These boots work like a charm."

"Fighting is also a part of youth." Pakaracchi said, observing Tart's violent display.

Meanwhile, Pochiro stood in the glass elevator, sadly watching it go up. Having read the book, he thought deeply about the identity of the Jyarei monster and Rubin and Rainie Pritchard sat at the very top of his suspect list. The problem was: How was he going to find those two in a mall so big? Besides, Bakumaru had the revealing mirror so even if he did bump into the couple, there's no way he could check their true identities. Groaning, the samurai dog stepped out of the elevator and found himself in some sort of lobby. Looking around, he took note of a boy with a couple Redbone Coonhounds who were wearing harnesses. It just had to be Billy Coleman.

Breathing a deep sigh, Pochiro knew this would be difficult. Old Dan and Little Ann were therapy animals, helping the disabled or elderly. How in the world was he going to convince Billy that his dogs needed to hunt and tree raccoons? It was a bitter pill to swallow but the fate of the Novel World rested in the Eto Rangers' hands. The canine samurai was absolutely disgusted with himself for having to tell Billy the truth of the matter. Suddenly, Pochiro felt himself blinking back the sting of bitter tears. How could he possibly make such a heartless request? Even so, it had to be done. Wiping his eyes and composing himself, he walked over to Billy and sat right next to him, "Hello. Would you happen to be Billy Coleman?"

"Sure am. Are ya here bout my therapy dogs?" Billy drawled in his thick Oklahoma accent, "Ya kinda look like a dog yourself."

"Billy...I know this is hard to say but...your world is in danger." Pochiro replied, "There's a creature known as a Jyarei Monster that's invaded your world. I know it may sound strange and hard to believe but, you need to be careful with how you train your dogs. The fate of your world is in the balance."

Billy blinked a few times from confusion than just stared at the samurai dog, "Jyarei monster? Didja hit yer head or something? Ya know, maybe one of mah therapy dogs will be helpful to ya. I'll letcha borrow Old Dan or Lil Ann but keep in mind that Lil Ann has an appointment with a young autistic boy. Kid's name is Andrew and he can't speak very well. Loud noises set him off, ya know."

Pochiro hung his head. Therapy dog for an autistic boy? Now he really felt like a heel. Taking a deep breath, the samurai sadly and slowly shook his head, "Billy, I'm not joking about this Jyarei monster. It's real and it's very, very dangerous. I know it's hard to say, but you need to start raising your dogs to become raccoon hunters, not therapy animals. Trust me, those dogs are Redbone Coonhounds, it's in their blood and I think that-"

Before Pochiro could get out another word, Billy slammed his fist across the side of the samurai dog's muzzle. Instantly, Pochiro drew his Bone Nyoibo but stopped the urge the extend it as he look at the hurt and angry expression on Billy's face, "Just who do YA THINK ya are, TALKING to ME like THAT?! HUNTIN' DOGS? What are ya, psycho? YOU of all things shouldn't be tellin' me how ta raise MY dogs. I can't believe I'm hearin this!"

Pochiro just stared in shock at Billy's angry and tearful expression. The samurai dog's eyes watered up and he let out a whimper, "I'm so sorry..."

"Well, ya should be, ya mangy, furry freak. Don't ever show yer face round my dogs ever again or I'll hit ya even harder, ya heartless bag of scum!" Billy yelled at the canine Eto Ranger, tears of anger streaming down his face.

Pochiro was now choking back sobs, hot tears rolling down his muzzle and dripping off the tip of his nose onto the mall's tile floor. Instantly, Little Ann pulled forward and began to lick a salty tear off Pochiro's nose in an attempt to console him before Billy yanked her back, "Don't waste yer time lickin' this mongrel's tears. He just ain't worth it, Lil' Ann."

And with that, Billy left with his two therapy dogs while Pochiro hugged himself and wept silently on the bench. The samurai dog felt like an idiot, there's no way that Billy would believe such an insane tale, no matter how true it was. Yet at the same time, he knew in his heart that Billy wasn't the Jyarei monster, no matter how badly the boy's words cut into him.

Meanwhile, back in the Kirinda, Pakaracchi was sobbing his heart out as as he watched Pochiro break down on the screen, "PLEASE! Let me be spirit summoned! I need to give him the MANLIEST MAN HUG EVER!"

"Oooooh, when I get my hands on that stupid hick..." Tart seethed, clenching her fists.

"Wow, what a crybaby." Monk remarked rudely, "But that Billy guy's also an idiot for not listening to Pochiro."

Souffle sadly shook her head, "Poor, poor Pochiro." Urii just whimpered a hugged Souffle to keep from crying.

Drago gave a solemn nod, "I would hate to be in his shoes right now. Soon enough, Billy will understand the gravity of the situation."

"Ushii, this is too sad." Hols sniffed, a small tear running down his snout, "Can we change the channel to Bakumaru?"

"All right, then." Kirinda accepted the request and the screen changed to Bakumaru, Gaoh and Cream sitting in the food court and eating gelato.

"Man oh man, this gelato is absolutely amazing!" Bakumaru squealed with delight as he dug into his cup.

"You should try the cookies and cream flavor." Gaoh offered, "It's gotta be the best one!"

"Personally, I think I like strawberry the best." Cream commented, digging into hers.

Suddenly, Bakumaru's phone rang and he turned on the video chat screen. Pochiro came on the screen and his looked deeply upset. Bakumaru could tell by the tear tracks streaking Pochiro's snout that the dog had been recently crying but he seemed composed as he spoke over the phone, "Bakumaru, I found Billy and told him. He...didn't take the news so well. His hunting dogs are now therapy dogs for autistic children but he's the main character of the story so I doubt he's a Jyarei monster. I think I have a pretty good hunch about the Jyarei monster's identity, though. At the end of the story, there's a mountain lion that kills Old Dan. He's a possible suspect. The question is: Where could the mountain lion be hiding?"

Cream was looking through coupons when she spotted a flyer, "What's this? An exotic pet show is being held today?"

"That could explain the mountain lion's whereabouts." Gaoh commented, having finished his cookies and cream gelato.

Cream's albino eyes scanned the text on the flyer and she gasped, "Pochiro! Do the names Rubin and Rainie Pritchard ring a bell?"

Pochiro's ears perked up at the names, "Yes, they do! They're the people who make a bet with Billy's grandfather over whose dog can catch the legendary ghost raccoon.'

"Perhaps they're the Jyarei monsters?" Gaoh suggested.

"Only one way to find out, let's meet at the front of the mall and seek out the location of this convention hall." Bakumaru replied, devouring the last of his gelato, "An exotic pet convention in a hunting novel is bound to be a hotbed of Jyarei monster suspects."

"All right. I'll meet you guys at the front." Pochiro said through the video chat box, "And Bakumaru..."

"What is it?" The mouse asked.

"Please, save some gelato for me as well. I'm getting a craving for it." Pochiro replied, making big puppydog eyes.

"All right, what flavor would you like?" Bakumaru asked.

"Stracciatella." Pochiro replied, folding his arms.

"What's that?" Bakumaru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Basically, it's vanilla flavor with dark chocolate shavings in it." Pochiro explained.

"But isn't chocolate poisonous to dogs?" Bakumaru asked.

"Well, you've seen me eat chocolate before, right?" Pochiro asked.

"Ummmmm...I think so." Bakumaru said, rubbing his chin.

"So that makes me an exception to the rule." Pochiro smirked, "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I know what I can eat and what I can't."

"All right then, let's meet at the front and GPS the location of the convention. It's been a while since we've fought a Jyarei Monster, so let's not get sloppy here." Bakumaru warned. The samurai dog rolled his eyes at the mouse and shut the phone off.


	3. Chapter 3

Bakumaru, Cream, Gaoh and Pochiro were walking outside when Bakumaru looked at the GPS on his phone, "Looks like we've made it to Sparrow Hawk Mountain Convention Center."

"Just one more thing that should not exist in this universe." Pochiro said aloud, crossing his arms.

"Either way, it seems like we're one step closer to finding the Jyarei monster." Cream replied optimistically.

The mouse, tiger, rabbit and dog looked up and noticed two muscular security guards standing at the entrance of the convention center. Bakumaru boldly walked up to them and cleared his throat, "Excuse me but we're here for the exotic pet convention."

One of the guards raised an eyebrow and adjusted his sunglasses, "Sir, I'm afraid you must have an exotic pet to get in."

Bakumaru pulled a rock out of his pocket, "Will this pet rock count?"

Cream, Pochiro and Gaoh all groaned and rolled their eyes in unison while the guard looked unamused, "I'm afraid I'll have to ask you to leave."

"But it's a very ferocious rock!" Bakumaru replied, "It can do things like...speak Ancient Sumerian! Isn't that right, Rocky?"

"Ancient Sumerian?" Gaoh echoed, scratching his head.

"A pet rock named Rocky?" Cream groaned in irritation.

"Surely, Lord Bakumaru can't be serious about all this." Pochiro replied, pinching the bridge of his long nose.

"No means no, I'm afraid." The guard replied, his gaze piercing through Bakumaru.

Bakumaru whimpered, staring at the guard as crocodile tears streamed down his furry face, "Y...you hurt Rocky's f-feelings and today is his birthday. How could you say no to an adorable little pet rock on its birthday?"

Pochiro turned to Cream, "If you need me, I'll be right over there, bashing my own skull in with my Bone Nyoibo. Care to join me, Lady Cream?"

Cream just shrugged in response, "Bakumaru's just in one of his moods again. It's normal."

"He should consider changing his name to Bakamaru." Pochiro replied sarcastically, "This has got to be his dumbest plan yet."

Suddenly, the security guard picked up Bakumaru and tossed him out of the convention hall, "Next time, bring an exotic pet like a tiger or something!"

Bakumaru cried softly as he cuddled his pet rock, "Don't cry, my little Rocky. It's okay, daddy Bakumaru is here for you."

Cream rubbed her chin, "Exotic pet like a tiger, huh?"

Instantly, Cream and Pochiro's gazes shifted from Bakumaru to Gaoh and wicked smirks crossed the rabbit and dog's faces. The tiger's eyes widened in shock, "Why are you two looking at me like that?"

"Oh nothing..." Pochiro snickered.

"Yeah, just a wild idea." Cream sneered with equal amusement.

Gaoh shut his eyes and groaned in annoyance, "I know what you're talking about. Okay, I'll do it. I'll be your pet but only just this once."

Pulling out his sunglasses, Gaoh put them over his eyes, "Tiger Tiger Transformation!"

In a flash, Gaoh went from his bipedal form to his quadrapedal form. Cream smiled, "It's nice, but it's missing something. I know exactly what you need!"

Cream snapped her fingers and her magical wand appeared in her hand. Waving it, a pink collar magically appeared around Gaoh's neck with a tag that said "Fluffy". The rabbit smiled at her work, "Now you look ready for the pet show!"

"I really like that collar. It sure brings out your eyes, Fluffy." Pochiro joked sarcastically with an adorable smile on his muzzle.

Gaoh let out a sigh, "Well, at least this will all go to a good cause."

Instantly, Bakumaru stopped crying and cuddling his pet rock and ran up to Gaoh, "Wait a minute? FLUFFY?!"

Instantly the mouse burst out laughing, much to Gaoh's embarrassment. Cream folded her arms and glared at Bakumaru, "Enough fooling around, Bakumaru. We need to focus!"

"Cream's right." Pochiro chuckled, trying to hide his laughter, "We need to stay focused on our mission to find and destroy the Jyarei monster."

Meanwhile, the other rangers were watching the scene unfold in the Kirinda.

"That's actually a pretty clever plan, Nyorori." Nyorori said, rubbing his scaly chin with a gloved hand, "Utilizing Gaoh's transformation like that."

"Gaoh makes a very adorable pet tiger!" Souffle giggled in amusement.

"A pet rock?" Monk raised an eyebrow, "I had no idea our leader could be so lame."

"Who invented pet rocks, anyway?" Pakaracchi asked, "They have no energy or youth whatsoever and you can't burn calories by playing with them."

"I had a pet rock once..." Souffle confessed, "But it died and I had to bury it."

There was an awkward silence before Hols comforted the lamb, "Ushii, I'm sorry for your loss."

Meanwhile, back with the main group, Cream put Gaoh's leash in her hand and walked up to where the security guards were. They nodded silently and granted entry for the four rangers. Upon entering, they were greeted to the sight of a large convention hall. Bakumaru turned to Pochiro, "Looks like we've made it. What do you think, Pochiro?"

Pochiro closed his eyes and took a deep whiff of the air, "I'm sorry but there's too many exotic smells lingering about to pick them all out. They're all blended together in an overpowering musk. At this point, I can't tell a mountain lion from a regular one."

"Right then, you and I will look around. If you see anything suspicious, alert me and I'll flash my mirror." Bakumaru replied to Pochiro before turning to Gaoh and Cream, "Cream, just blend in with the crowd and fix Gaoh up for the judging. Once you see the Jyarei monster appear, you two will join in on the action. Got it?"

"You can count on us!" Cream smiled back with a thumbs up. Turning to Gaoh, she tugged his leash, "Come now, Fluffy. Let's make you nice and pretty for the big show!"

Gaoh groaned and hung his head as the rabbit led him away on his leash. Bakumaru turned to Pochiro, "Okay, let's find that mountain lion."

Pochiro nodded, "We'll just have to do this aisle by aisle, then."

The mouse and dog walked down the first aisle, looking at the exotic pets which ranged from capybaras to cobras. Bakumaru noticed that Pochiro suddenly had a glum look on his face. Clearing his throat, the mouse breathed a heavy sigh, "Pochiro, are you okay? You seem a little depressed. Are you still upset about your confrontation with Billy?" There was no reply and Bakumaru continued talking, "I know this is a hard mission for you. Souffle went through the exact same thing with the Little Mermaid. If you want to stay out of the fight with the Jyarei monster this time, I'll understand and if Gaoh can't take it, that's what Spirit Summons are for so-"

Before Bakumaru could finish his sentence, Pochiro silenced him by placing his hand over his mouth, "Please, no more words, Lord Bakumaru. Your lack of faith in me only makes my heart heavier."

Pochiro removed his hand and Bakumaru frowned, "I'm so sorry, I...I didn't mean to upset you."

"Let's just get this over with. The sooner its done, the better." Pochiro replied as he continued walking.

Bakumaru sighed, the guilt stabbing at his heart like a toxic dagger but he kept his mouth shut. The less said, the better. The mouse knew just how much the dog hated the mission. He continued on, staring sadly at the ground when he bumped into someone. Looking up, he saw a well-dressed gentleman, "Why hello there, young fella. You must be lost."

"Who are you?" Bakumaru asked, blinking his large green eyes.

"Why my name is Rubin Pritchard. My wife, Rainie and I are the administrators behind this very event." Rubin smiled and shook Bakumaru's hand.

"I had no idea Rubin could be so well-spoken and polite." Pochiro commented, "This novel world must be more corrupt than ever."

"Would you mind if I take your picture, Rubin? I'm a news reporter doing a story on this very event." Bakumaru lied.

"Well, of course. Go right ahead and snap one." Rubin replied, grinning.

Bakumaru pulled out his revealing mirror, "Alright. The flash may be a little bit blinding. My camera's a strange one." And with that, the mouse flashed his mirror at Rubin. At first, the man shielded his eyes but then blinked a few times. Bakumaru gave him a thumbs up, "Excellent job! Keep in mind that my camera's an old fashioned one so it may take time for the film to develop."

"I see." Rubin rubbed his chin, "In any case, I hope your story gives good press for our event. Good luck, young one!"

And with that, Rubin left and walked down the aisle. Pochiro turned to Bakumaru, "I'm honestly quite surprised, Lord Bakumaru. Maybe you aren't so dumb after all. That was quite a clever trick and plus, one of the suspects has been eliminated."

Bakumaru smirked and folded his arms, "Told you I still have my touch."

Meanwhile, Cream was decorating Gaoh with pink ribbons and a white lace tiara, "Oh, you look so lovely and presentable, Miss Fluffy."

Gaoh sighed and hung his head, "I'll have to live with this for the rest of my life, you know. I hope the others in the Kirinda aren't watching this."

Meanwhile, back in the Kirinda, Hols, Drago, Nyorori, Pakaracchi, Souffle, Monk, Tart and Urii were all rolling across the floor in laughter.

Meanwhile, back in the convention hall, Bakumaru and Pochiro walked down every aisle and Bakumaru stomped angrily on the ground, "I can't believe it! NO mountain lion. Not a single one!"

Pochiro simply shrugged in response, "I guess that just leaves us with Rainie as the only option. The judging begins in only a few minutes so maybe she'll show herself."

"I have a feeling this will be a piece of cake." Bakumaru smirked.

"It's not wise to underestimate a Jyarei monster. It's been a while since we've faced one so who knows just how strong it will be." Pochiro replied, eyes closed and arms folded.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Bakumaru sighed, "Well, at least Nyorori helped upgrade our weapons. Hopefully, that new morning star of yours will come in handy."

Pochiro nodded, "I just hope the spikes on it are nice and sharp, the new Jyarei monsters may be stronger than ever."

Suddenly, the lights on the stage flashed on and a woman stepped out with a strange white raccoon perched on her head, "Greetings, ladiues and gentlemen. My name is Rainie Pritchard. My husband and I are the coordinators of this very event. The judging will start in only 5 minutes. We're having some technical difficulties so hold on tight and don't leave the floor. We have many lovely exotics to show off here at Sparrow Hawk Mountain Convention Center."

Bakumaru turned to Pochiro, "May I have permission to stand on your shoulders, Pochiro? This crowd is blocking my view of Rainie."

"What's the magic word?" The samurai dog replied with a smirk.

Bakumaru groaned and facepalmed, "May I PLEASE have permission to stand on your shoulders, Pochiro?"

"That's more like it!" Pochiro replied with a grin before hoisting the rodent up onto his shoulders.

Standing on Pochiro's shoulder's, Bakumaru scanned across the sea of people until he saw Rainie standing on the stage. Opening his mirror, he fired a blinding flash in her general direction, "JYAREI MONSTER REVEAL!"

Instantly, the ghost raccoon began twitching and hissing angrily before falling to the ground with a loud crash. A few awkward seconds passed before the albino raccoon grew to a monstrous height of 14 feet tall with razor sharp teeth and claws. A third, glowing red eye opened on its forehead and it appeared to be holding a giant trash picker in one hand and a trash can lid shield in the other.

Pochiro facepalmed at the revelation, "The LEGENDARY GHOST RACCOON? I can't believe he slipped my mind!"

The crowd gathered at the convention erupted into screams as all the people fled out of the convention while Cream and Gaoh made their way through the panicked convention goers and ran up to Bakumaru and Pochiro. Bakumaru's attention shifted from the Jyarei monster to Gaoh who was still decorated with ribbons and a tiara. The mouse suddenly snickered and burst into a fit of laughter, "I don't know who looks more ridiculous, you or the Jyarei monster!"

"Bakumaru, now isn't the time to joke around, now is the time to fight!" Gaoh growled angrily at the mouse.

"R-right." Bakumaru laughed, rubbing a few tears from his eyes, "Time to make a new coon skin cap!"

"Who the heck are you?" The massive raccoon Jyarei monster hissed angrily in a slight southern dialect, saliva dripping off his razor sharp teeth.

"The Twelve Warriors. Bakuretsu!" Bakumaru shouted.

"ETO RANGERS!" The mouse, dog, rabbit and tiger all struck a pose.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Pochiro charged at the monstrous raccoon with his Bone Nyoibo in his hand. Instantly, the hulking beast raised his trash picker and tried to strike the samurai dog but was blocked by his bone. Pressing a button on his nyoibo, Pochiro released a long chain with a small spiked ball on the end of it, "Consider yourself honored, you're the very first Jyarei monster to taste my new and improved weapon!"

And with that Pochiro struck at the monster with the long chain. Instantly, the raccoon's weapon was tangled by the samurai dog's chain and he yanked it clean out of the Jyarei's monster's claw and into his own. Pochiro then retracted his morningstar and leapt at it, hitting the raccoon with a series of rapid-fire jabs with the trash picker. Hissing, the Jyarei monster shielded itself against the blows and took a good, strong swipe at the dog with his claw, sending Pochiro flying across the room.

Cream dashed to Pochiro's aid and picked him up, "Are you alright?"

"I've been nuked by a death ray before." The samurai replied dryly as he dusted himself off, "It'll take more than raccoon claws to knock me out."

"All right, looks like it's MY turn." Bakumaru smirked, drawing his sword. The mouse charged at the raccoon, wildly slashing his sword but the Jyarei monster blocked each and every hit with its shield. Gaoh joined in on the fray, leaping at the raccoon only to be blocked by the trash can lid. Jumping back, Gaoh's glasses started glowing cyan and he fired a beam of ice at the monster's feet, freezing it to the ground. The Jyarei monster was now madder than ever, hissing furiously and slashing at both Bakumaru and Gaoh with its razor sharp claws.

"It's far too aggressive to get within combat range." Gaoh commented, "We'll have to call for backup."

Pochiro blinked a few times and stared up at the ceiling, taking note of the sprinkler system, "Bakumaru, Spirit Summon Drago! His firebreath will trigger the sprinkler system so I can give that overgrown ringtail the shock of his life!"

"Great idea, Pochiro. All right, it's worth a shot. Spirit Summon Drago!" The mouse opened up the revealing mirror and a flash appeared.

Meanwhile back in the Kirinda, Monk turned to Drago, "You again?! BUT WHY? Why do YOU always get Spirit Summoned and I don't. IT'S NOT FAIR!"

"Stop your whinining, Monk. I almost never get spirit summoned, either." Tart scolded the monkey as she sat cross-legged in her chair.

"Hmph. I'm gonna go on strike, then!" Monk huffed, crossing his arms.

"Try telling that to Princess Aura." Pakaracchi replied, his own arms crossed in annoyance.

"Good luck, Drago." Souffle encouraged her friend. Drago nodded quietly and teleported to the convention center.

Drago held up his magic sphere, "One, two, three!" He slammed his crystal ball on the ground and in a puff of smoke, he morphed into his giant dragon form. Raising his head to the ceiling, Drago let out a large blast of fire breath and alarms started going off in the building. The sprinklers turned on and it seemed like it was almost raining inside the convention hall.

Pochiro extended his nyoibo until it made contact with the Jyarei monster, "Stand back, everyone! I don't want to shock you as well."

Bakumaru, Cream, Gaoh and Drago all got behind Pochiro as he pressed a button on his bone staff and let out a powerful blast of electricity. The raccoon screeched in agony as he was electrocuted from head to toe. The samurai dog turned to the mouse, "Here's your opening, Bakumaru. He's vulnerable!"

Bakumaru nodded and lowered his sword to the ground, charging up his special attack, "All right. KILLER HURRICANE!"

The mouse lept up into the air, spinning his sword, diving diagonally at the raccoon using his special attack. As Bakumaru dove down, his plunged his sword directly into the Jyarei monster's third eye and it let out an agonizing howl of pain. Retrieving his sword, Bakumaru lept off the massive beast and raised his glove to his sky, "The Great Advent! Kirinda!"

The large, golden pegasus-esq ship crashed through the ceiling of the convention hall and open its mouth, "Purification!" Opening its mouth, it fired a beam on the defeated Jyarei monster which was now in energy ball form. The Jyarei monster raccoon then fell to the ground with a large crash and faded away. As if by magic, the convention center completely disappeared and now Bakumaru, Cream, Pochiro, Gaoh and Drago were standing in a lush ozark forest. Pochiro shook some water off him from the sprinkler system shower and sighed, "A job well done."

"Look!" Cream gasped pointing at the ground where the Jyarei monster fell, "It didn't turn into a flower but a red fern instead."

"It's so beautiful..." Pochiro said quietly, a single tear running down his snout as he stared down at it.

Cream noticed the tear and patted Pochiro on the back, "Is everything all right, Pochiro?"

Pochiro smiled softly as he knuckled the tear from his snout, "Right as rain, Lady Cream but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a bittersweet victory."

Gaoh turned to Bakumaru, "Say Bakumaru, aren't we forgetting something?"

Bakumaru rubbed his chin in thought, "No...I don't think so."

"Pochiro's gelato?" Gaoh replied, tapping the mouse on the shoulder.

There was an awkward silence before Bakumaru reached into his pocket and pulled out a paper bowl of completely melted stracciatella, "Ummmmm, here you go. I promised that I'd give it to you so...here you are!"

Pochiro blinked a few times, looked at the bowl and glared sternly at Bakumaru. A few long seconds passed, the mood growing more and more tense but then, the canine samurai burst out laughing, "I...I don't know what to say! I...I just can't be angry with you, Lord Baka-maru!"

Bakumaru scowled and folded his arms in response, "Well then, that's the last time I buy you ice cream, you big puffball head!"

"Puffball head?" Pochiro raised an eyebrow, "Just so you know, you ARE talking to a samurai!"

Bakumaru suddenly started giggling nervously, "Did I say puffball? What I meant was cheeseball head!"

"Cheeseball?" Pochiro blinked, "Now that doesn't make any sense at all! If you want to insult me so badly then be my guest but when you come up with insults that are so brainless that I don't even have a verbal comeback to them, then you should hold your tongue!"

Cream, Gaoh and Drago watched Bakumaru and Pochiro argue with each other before Cream spoke up, "It's nice to have Pochiro back to his old self."

"I'll drink to that." Drago nodded quietly.

After the brief argument between the mouse and dog the Eto Rangers boarded the Kirinda. Staring out the window of the ship, Pochiro noticed Billy Coleman waving at him. The samurai smiled and waved back in return. Pochiro turned to his fellow rangers and breathed a heavy sigh, "I think I need a little rest. Today was very emotionally draining for me."

Pakaracchi nodded in agreement, "Rest helps keep youth energized. We all need to defend Novel Worlds at full power."

Monk casually leaned up against a table and shrugged, "You take everything waaaaaaay too seriously, Pochiro. Serioiusly, you should lighten up a bit."

Pochiro shook his head at the monkey's comment. Urii turned to Bakumaru, "Did you ummmmmm...get me any gelato?"

Bakumaru suddenly looked horrified, "Um...uhhhh...well."

"You can have mine." Pochiro spoke up, "It's kind of ummmm...melted so pretend it's a milkshake in a dish, okay?"

The dog gave his cup to the pig and Urii smiled, "Thank you very much!"

Bakumaru wiped sweat from his brow, "Thanks, Pochiro. You're a lifesaver."

"And just a few minutes ago, I was a puffball head." Pochiro sneered. And with that, everyone burst out laughing. Just another day in the paradise known as Mugen. The end.


End file.
